File



S. W. GEM EREK Oct. 8, 1957 FILE- Filed Aug. 17, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I i INVENTOR. STANLEY/44 GEMEREK BY" M, M, M Tfiem,

ATTORNEYS.

s. w. GEMEREEK Oct. 8, 1957 FILE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 17, 1956 AVAVAVJZ QVAVJY INVENTOR. STA NL Erik GEMEREK @44 M, Y @a,

A TTORNE VS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Oct. 8, 1957 s. w. GEMEREK FILE Filed Aug. 17, 1956 INVENTOR. 5 mm; EVM GEMEREK I I w E @aa W,MY@MI ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent FILE "Stanley W.'Gemerek, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application-August 17, 1956, Serial No. 604,759

" Claims. '(Cl; 21'11.5)

.is filedunder a. given classification, and/or they simply .are not -well adapted to handle the type of material required to be filed.

For example, real estate brokers customarily maintain a largevfile ofphotographs and/or index cards covering all of the various houses and other properties currently listed by them. -When a broker has. an extensive business, andpar'ticularly where the multiple listing practice is in use,lhe'has hundreds ofphotographs and/or cards all of which must'be filed according to broad area and specific street classifications. When conventional filing systems are used for this purpose, and it is desired to determine what properties are being handled by that broker ina certain area or on a specific street, as in response to'a telephone inquiry, it is necessary to go over the appropriate file and then thumb through the index cards therein, all of which consumes a substantial amount of time and efifort, greatly reducing the efficiency of the ofiice and even adversely affecting possible sales.

Accordingly, I have invented the file described in the following specification which, while being particularly adapted for useby real estate brokers and the like, also is adaptedforother uses as will become clearly evident.

A particular object of my invention is to provide a "file device. of. the .display type adaptedto hold, inp'rop- .erly'iridexed relation, 21 largenumber of photog'raphs, cards orlike objects and which has selectively operable drive means for quickly bringing any of thefiled material to a predetermined position within easy reach of the operator, the indexesthereof being readily visible as the material is brought to' that position.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a file device which is attractive in appearance,and which .is relatively light in weightand simple in construction, comprising relatively inexpensive parts which .are. readily assembled.

It is .also an object of my invention to 'providea file as aforesaid which is extremely .durable and long lasting in operation and which, after initial adjustments have been made, will require little or no attentionLfor long periods of time. V

A file device constructed'in accord with my invention is characterized by the provision .of a frame preferably ;readily movable along a floor or other supporting surface and carrying a pair of roller means, flexible belt means extending around .said pair .of roller means to .form a generally endless belt, and filing pockets or the like .cari'ied'by .the belt and adapted to receive and hold'the jphotographs, cards or other-items being -filed, together 2,808,939 Patented Oct. 8, 61957 l-CE :12 acterizing features of .a display type. ofTfile constructed in accord with my invention will'become clearly apparent from the ensuing detailed description of .a presently preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing forming a part ofthis specification wherein like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the various views and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front .elevational view of a presently preferred embodiment of file device constructed inaccord with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to that of Fig. 1, but With the conveyor belt and filing pocketsthereon indicated in phantom and with certain other external parts removed to show more clearly detailsof the internal structure;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the roller means, the conveyor belt. andft'he filing pockets thereon;

Fig. 4 is -a"fragmentary sectional view taken about on line IV-IV. of Fig. 3 showing the novel manner in which 20 the conveyor belt is supported;

. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, showing details of the .filing pocketsand their attachment to the belt;

Fig. 6 is a'fragmentary view showing details of the supporting cable adjusting mechanism; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, detail View showing the manner in which the opposite ends of theflexible belt are connectedtogether .to comprise an endless belt.

Referring now specifically to the presently preferred embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawing, a file deviceconstructed in accord with my invention comprises a supporting frame 1 carrying a pair of roller means in the form of generally cylindrical rollers 2 arranged in substantially parallel and generally upright relation, afiexibe belt 3 on which filing pockets 4 are mounted and drive means including a motor 5 for selectively moving said belt in either direction to bring the filing pockets 4 to a given position. Rollers 2 are carried on axles 6 journalled at the opposite ends of rollers 2 in heavy duty,

self-aligning bearings 7,'and are carried by frame 1 in the following manner.

Frame 1 comprises upper and lower members 8, for example, of tubular steel construction, extending between rollers 12. At one end, each member 8 is reamed or otherwise formed to receive a shaft 9 (see Fig. 6) projecting from associated bearing 7. At its opposite end, comprising the cable adjusting end illustrated in Fig. 6 and positioned at the'left .side inFig. 2, each member 8 is tion therein one end of an externally threaded bar 11 having its other end secured in a link bar 12, the other end of which receives the shaft 9 of associated .bearing 7. Barslland 12.and the associated bearing shafts 9 are fastened together formovement in unison, and adjusting members 10 are threaded on bars 11 for cable adjusting purposes as will be described. 7

A vertical angle iron 13 is positionedjbeside eachro-ller 2, one of said angle-irons being fastened at'its opposite ends tothemembersfiand the other thereof having its opposite ends fastened to the links 12. A third vertica angle'iron 14 extends betweenandhas its opposite ends fastened'to themerribers; 8 at-substant'ially the'centerjof the machine, and a pair of diagonally.'extendingyreinforcing angle irons 15extendbetweeniopposite ends of the 'membersJS. At:one end, eachdiagonal angleiron 15 is secured to 0116.6I1Clf0f OneJmemberS as by bolts or the like, and at the cable adjusting endiof' the machine said members 15 are secured'toithe'membersfias by means of U=clamps 16.. Each member' lS'is bolted or otherwiseffastene'dtofthecenter-iron1 f A generally hori'zontal angleiron 17' is"fixed"at""one end to the vertical iron 13 at the cable adjusting side of the mechanism, and is secured at its other end to the center iron 14 with a pin and slot connection, having a slot 18 adjustably receiving the bolt 19 securing one of the diagonal irons 15 to the vertical center iron 14. A pair of generally parallel, horizontal angle irons 29 extend betweenrthe center vertical iron 14 and thevertical iron 13 at the other end of the machine, and in addition to reinforcing the frame serve to support the motor in a manner to be described.

Bearings 7 are mounted in U-shapedhubs 22 and wash ers 23 are provided between rollers 2 and bearing hubs 22 whereby the rollers 2 are journalled in the bearings and supported thereby on the frame.

The frame 1 includes supporting feet comprising vertical base pipes 24 screw threaded into or otherwise secured to waste nuts 25 secured to thebearing hubs 22 at the lower ends of rollers 2, and at their lower end said vertical pipes are secured to T unions 26 having secured in their horizontal openings horizontal pipes 27. Rubber bumpers can be positioned at the opposite ends of pipes 27, to prevent marring, and ball bearing casters 28 depend from the pipes 27 for ease of mobility.

Adjustable steel brace rods 29 are provided, two for each roller, with one end thereof being adjustably secured to a flange 31 on the association vertical angle iron 13 and the other end thereof secured to the horizontal base pipes 27 on opposite sides of the vertical base pipes 24. These brace rods keep rollers 2 in alignment and firmly in position. In addition, four radius rods 32 are provided, two for each roller and each having one end attached to the center vertical iron 14 with the other ends thereof attached to the horizontal base pipes 27 on opposite sides of the vertical base pipes 24, to keep the base pipes 27 in proper alignment.

The machine is driven by motor 5 which is adjustably positioned on the angle irons 20, being bolted thereto through slots 33 therein for position adjusting movement toward and away from the roller 2 remote from the cable adjusting side of the machine and constituting in peripheral grooves 40 adjacent the upper ends of each roller 2. A second cable 42 trains around rollers 2 in grooves 43 therein adjacent the lower end thereof.

Motor 5 is controlled by conventional switch means 44 (Fig. 1) having two positions for operating the motor in opposite directions, thereby to move the belt 3 and pockets 4 in either direction. Switch .44 is mounted on an upright 45 fastened to the bottom of the vertical iron 14, and is connected to a source of electric power and to motor 5 as by means of wiring 46.

Belt 3 is of flexible material and preferably comprises a web of canvas or the like fireproofed by known means. The width of belt 3 exceeds the length of rollers 2, for reasons which will become apparent, and belt 3 is designed to fit around rollers 2 with the opposite ends thereof closely adjacent each other.

Thus, the belt can be of one-ply fine woven cotton canvas material the opposite ends of which are edged as by means of metal binders 47 (Fig. 7 secured thereto as by nuts or screws 48, and vertical reinforcing rods 49 extend along the very edge of the opposite ends of belt 3 inside the binders 47. To keep the belt smooth, light tension is applied thereto by coil springs 50 which extend between the binders 47. Belt 3 is fitted around the rollers '2 for movement therewith, and is supported in novel manner from drive cable 39 as will be described more in detail hereinafter.

On its outer surface, belt 3 carries multiple filing pockets 4 each being formed of sheet metal or other suitable material and comprising a flat back wall 52 (Figs.

3 and 5), opposed side walls 53 terminating in inwardly directing flanges 54, and a bottom wall 55 terminating in an upwardly directed flange 56. The top of each pocket 4 is open whereby cards, photographs, and the like are slip fitted downwardly therein. Pockets 4 are fastened to belt 3, each being supported adjacent its lower end as by a bracket comprising a vertical flange 57 bolted to the belt 3 and an outpwardly and slightly downwardly inclined flange 58 bolted to the bottom wall 55 of the pocket. Adjacent its upper end, each pocket is supported as by a bracket comprising a vertical flange 60 bolted to the belt 3, a horizontally extending spacing flange 61, and an upwardly and slightly outwardly inclined flange 62 bolted or otherwise secured to the back wall 52. In this way, each pocket is supported in an upright position so as to be inclined outwardly with its upper end spaced from the belt 3 for greater ease in inserting cards, photographs and the like into the pockets 4, and subsequently removing the same therefrom. The pocket mounting brackets are of very simple construction and hold the pockets in the above position whereby they are easily viewed by a person seated at a desk, and in addition they provide in effect a point support, compared to the curvature of rollers 2, whereby as the belt 3 and the attached pockets 4 move around the rollers 2 the pockets 4 do not wobble and are not stressed but are securely held in proper position and travel smoothly around the rollers (Fig. 3).

It will be appreciated that belt 3 and its attached pockets 4 represent a substantial weight even though made of light weight material, and if the belt were supported by rollers 2 alone it would tend to slip downwardly thereon and move out of alignment. Accordingly,,I support about 95% of the weight of the belt 3 and pockets 4, and material filed therein, from the upper cable 39 which is a heavy cable of for example /2 inch diameter. However, because belt 3 is wrapped around the outer periphery of rollers 2, whereas cable 39 lies in the grooves 40 on the rollers, there is a speed differential therebetween accentuated by the difference in their respective inertias, whereby if the belt were simply secured to the cable, with nothing more, the faster moving belt would cause im proper operation.

Accordingly, it is a particular feature of my invention that the belt 3 is suspended from the cable 39, so as to be supported and conveyed thereby, by means accommodating such speed differential. Looking now at Figs. 3 and 4, in accord with my invention belt 3 is supported on cable 39 by means of bearings which can be in the form of generally U-shaped clamps 64 which fit partially around cable 39 and terminate at the opposite ends thereof in oppositely and outwardly directed flanges 6S bolted to belt 3. Cable 39 has a sliding fit in clamp 64 and against belt 3, which comprises part of the bearing, thereby permitting a speed differential therebetween. For better reinforcement, 21 plate 66 is secured in place on the other side of belt 3 from each clamp 64, as by the bolts 7 67 securing the clamp on the belt.

A number of such bearings are provided around belt 3, and with this arrangement, the belt 3 and pockets,4 carried thereby are almost completely supported and conveyed by the upper cable 39, and the speed difierential between belt 3 and cable 39 is automatically accommodated. The bearings are lubricated with heavy grease,

' and require little attention during the life of the machine.

The lower cable 42 is not secured to the belt 3, but comprises a backing adapted to bear thereagainst adjacent the lower end thereof, as shown in Fig. 4, to preclude undue flapping of the belt between the rollers '2.

Because most of the weight of belt 3 and the attached parts is carried by the cable 39, the latter must be under substantial tension, and this is provided for by the cable tension adjusting means previously noted. Thus, when first setting up the machine the adjusting members 10 are turned and force the bars 11 in or out, relative to members 8, to provide the proper tension of the cables 39 and 42, the cable tension serving to hold the members against members 8. The self-aligning bearings 7 permit such adjustment and automatically align themselves with the resultant position of the roller and its axle, and the slot 18 on the iron 17 permits this part to accommodate such adjustment. Brace rods 29 then are adjusted to proper position, to maintain the parts in proper alignment.

To hide the bearing mechanism and cross member 8 at the upper end of the machine, a relatively thin wooden roller part 2 is positioned above the top bearing on each roller, being of the same diameter and comprising an extension thereof about which the upper edge portion of belt 3 is wrapped.

In operation, by simply moving switch 44 from one position to the other the rollers 2 and belt 3 can be caused to move in opposite directions as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 thereby causing the machine to bring the desired filing pockets 4 to the machine operator. Preferably the pockets are arranged in superposed relation to comprise columns arranged side-by-side around the machine, there being in the illustrated machine eleven pockets in each of twenty-two columns, and the pockets 4 are indexed as by providing major division headings 70 at the top of each column, and if desired at points therebelow in each column. Thus, headings 70 can comprise difierent areas of a city, and the side terminal flanges 54 of the pockets 4 can have further subdivisions indicated thereon such as for example letters of the alphabet, so that when the machine is being used, for example, by a real estate broker and it is desired to know what properties are available on a certain street in a particular area, switch 44 is closed to energize motor 5 and drive belt 3 until the appropriate column, as determined by heading 70, is brought within easy reach of the operator. The operator then looks along that column to the pocket alphabetically indexed for that street, and there will be immediately before him the photograph, cards and other material, as indicated at 75 in Fig. 3, relating to the desired location. It will be noted that the opera tor remains adjacent switch 44, and that the pockets move past that position with the various column headings and sub-headings being readily visible.

For greater protection, a guard rail 72 can be positioned around the outside of the machine at approximately desk level, being supported from the waste nuts as by paired uprights 73 adjacent the opposite ends of the machine.

Accordingly, it is seen that the file device of my invention fully accomplishes the foregoing objects, and provides a display type of file which is easily and rapidly operated to bring to view and within reach the particular information desired, the operator merely operating switch 44 to move the pockets past him until the desired pocket is within his reach. Because of the novel suspension means of my invention the conveyor operates smooflily and noiselessly, and is durable and long-lasting. If desired, the machine can be fully enclosed, and illuminating means can be provided.

While only a presently preferred embodiment of my invention has been disclosed in detail herein, it is'obvious that the same is susceptible of various modification and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having fully described my invention, together with its mode of operation, what I claim as new is:

1. A display file comprising, a generally upright frame, a pair of generally upright roller means of elongated generally cylindrical form carried by said frame, a motor connected to one of said rollers for rotating the same, drive cable means extending between said pair of rollers for rotating the other thereof upon rotation of said one roller, flexible belt means wrapped around said pair of rollers to comprise an endless belt, filing pocket means carried by said belt means, means suspending said belt means from said drive cable means, and means for adjusting the tension on said cable comprising, self-aligning bearings journalling said rollers at opposite ends thereof, and length-adjustable link means connecting the bearings at opposite ends of said other roller to said frame for selectively varying the spacing between said rollers.

2. A display file as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said file pockets are supported independently of the others by a first bracket fastened to said belt means and to the lower end of the pocket and a spacing second bracket fastened to said belt means and to the upper end of the pocket and holding the latter outwardly in spaced relation to the former.

3. A file comprising, a frame, a pair of roller means carried by said frame for rotation about generally vertical and substantially parallel axes, means defining aligned grooves in said pair of rollers, a cable wrapped around said rollers and engaging in said grooves, endless belt means extending around said pair of rollers, bearing means carried by said belt means and extending around said cable for supporting the former on the latter while enabling relative movement therebetween to accommodate the differential in speed of travel thereof, file pocket means carried by said belt means, and drive means for selectively moving said belt means.

4. A file device comprising, a frame, a pair of roller means carried by said frame in generally upright attitude for rotation about substantially parallel axes, means providing aligned grooves in said pair of roller means adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof, first endless cable means extending around said roller means in the aligned grooves adjacent the upper end thereof, endless belt means extending around said pair of roller means, file pocket means carried by said belt means, bearings engaging said first cable in slip fitting relation therewith and secured to said belt means for supporting the latter on the former while enabling relative movement therebetween, second endless cable means extending around said roller means in the aligned grooves adjacent the lower end thereof to restrain said belt means against flapping inwardly between said roller means, and selectively operably drive means for said belt means.

5. A file device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said endless belt means comprises a flexible belt, and spring means interconnecting the opposite ends of said belt for maintaining the same under light tension.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 426,890 Westphal Apr. 29, 1890 889,618 Kharas June 2, 1908 1,347,936 Carroll July 27, 1920 1,599,732 Westermann Sept. 14, 1926 2,778,504 Byrne Jan. 22, 1957 

